


Mermaid au

by sunkelles, walkawayfromemptygold



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: A mixture of book and show canon, AU, F/F, Femslash, Femslash February, Happy, Sansa-centric, also winter is just a few months in this, brynden is gay, mermaid au, pretend all of westeros can see the sea, set in S1
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-29
Updated: 2016-03-01
Packaged: 2018-05-24 02:02:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 7,955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6137467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunkelles/pseuds/sunkelles, https://archiveofourown.org/users/walkawayfromemptygold/pseuds/walkawayfromemptygold
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Those with Tully blood have always made the trip to Riverrun for winter. Sansa ends up in Highgarden by mistake. Because we’ve all heard of Stark werewolves but what about Tully mermaids?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Dedicated to Sunkelles, thanks for helping me write this!

The water in Winterfell is always cold. The water that they do have to use, the lake near Winterfell, but outside of the gates and the pond that’s barely a few minutes deep within the gates are always cold. It’s part of being in the North, her mother had always told them. Arya has snuck out one too many times, and has to stay in their parent’s room for the night. Sansa knows they can only swim at night when it comes to the warmer months as she walks to Robb’s room.

Their parents have to stay in Winterfell, but their children have always made the swim to Riverrun, as so many Tullys and their descendants have done, since Brandon the Builder. Their father is a Stark, and unable to participate. Sansa’s excited for their new sibling, but being with child means their mother can’t swim with them. It puts a strain on her and it could kill the baby.

Robb has led them the last two years, the careful travel to the sea and the waiting for dark to slip into the sea means that they have to use careful precautions and planning. It’s so exciting, she thinks. Robb has led the last few years, and she plans to ask him about how he plans it, how their mother taught him. That’s not a subject for the night before, but rather during the trip to Riverrun.

After Robb marries, she’ll lead until she does the same. Sansa is nervous and excited. She wants the chance to show her parents that she is the best, that she’s a suitable match for the king’s son. Her father told her that wouldn’t happen until she’s successfully led Arya, Bran and Rickon to Riverrun at least once. It’s the safest place to be for them in winter, it’s not too warm or too cold. Tully blood can’t take the cold as well as Stark. Jon will have to stay with their father, he has no Tully blood and his blood can ensure his survival during winter. Sansa knocks carefully, a practiced knock Robb recognizes instantly. He opens the door and lets Sansa in.

“Are you nervous?” Sansa asks after he shuts the door, even though she knows the answer Robb will give. He’s the eldest, of course he’s not. He’s never nervous, her brave brother. It’s like how Arya always argues with the people she thinks are wrong, how Bran always climbs and she always sews.  Their mother had once remarked that for being part fish, he seems very comfortable in the air, heights never seemed to bother him. Sansa remembers one instance where their Aunt Lysa said his climbing made him seem more like her child, part fish and part bird. She also called Robb a very good mix of wolf and fish, Sansa remembers as she looks up at older brother.

“I’m never afraid to do this.” Robb tells her simply and reminds her that they leave in the morning. Sansa nods dutifully and tells him that she will try to sleep. She never sleep very much the night before though, it’s one of the best parts of the year, getting to see their Tully relatives.

Robin Arryn has made the trip each year and Bran and Rickon always enjoy seeing him.

Uncle Brynden is quiet, and her mother, uncles and Aunt Lysa have something against him because he wouldn’t marry someone. When Sansa was younger and barely reached his knees, she asked him why they held a grudge against him. He had just looked at her and told her that he would explain when she was older. Before she left him alone again, he advised her to marry someone who she wanted to, not just who others wanted her to marry. She deserved a happy life and future, he had told her.

He’s quiet, but Sansa always spends time with him whenever they return to Riverrun. He doesn’t mind if she sits near him and sews, or if she asks questions. He occasionally tells a joke or two and Sansa always laughed at them. Sansa knows her siblings also spend their own time with him, but she’s always thought that she was his favorite.

Uncle Edmure is better at dealing with the boys and Arya when they’re too antsy or want to do something they deem exciting. Sansa prefers to read and talk to her grandfather or Uncle Brynden when he takes them for shooting practice or hunting. He’s good at that kind of thing, she’s been told. She’s just impressed he can entertain so many children and Robb at one time. Robb isn’t a child anymore, he’ll be married soon.

She remembers the last time they had taken the trip, he had found her crying because she said she’d miss Robb when it’s her turn to lead. Edmure had told her that she would miss him yes, but Robb will be happy with his wife and Sansa would be happy with a husband and children of her own someday. Siblings were not meant to always be together, they were meant to grow separately at some point. Even if Robb was in Qarth, he would always love her. Her uncle had consoled her by telling her that he still loves his siblings and family, regardless of how far away they might be.

He had wiped her tears away and told her a joke to make her smile. She liked him when he could spare the time, but Brynden usually spends more time with her.

Her grandfather tells the best stories, of where he had traveled, what he had seen. He told them once about how water felt different in various places. Northern water was cold and unforgiving, but it made him feel as alive as he was in battle. The water of the Vale felt closer to air than any other. The water of the Riverlands feels like home, it’s why so many of them have been given burials there. The Iron Islands had water that had a slight tinge of metal to the taste of it, their grandfather had sworn.

The Westerlands tasted almost close to the Iron Islands, but the water was warmer, more forgiving than that of the Iron Islands. The Stormlands were accurately named, he warned the Stark children. The water was harsh and cold, too powerful.

Two of his favorite places to swim were the Reach and Dorne. The water of the reach was warm, but not too much so. The beaches smelled of flowers and it was easy to swim in. The water of Dorne feels like a blessing from the gods after one has baked too long in the Dornish sun. Sansa wonders, not for the first time, if she’ll ever be able to do that. Grandfather Hoster is the best at calming all of them down and making decisions for what they should do during the day or where to swim. Sansa’s sure that Robb is Grandfather Hoster’s favorite.

She feels alive in the water regardless of where she is because it’s where her skin finally feels completely comfortable. The cold winter air of the North is not always very forgiving.

She manages to sleep before the sunrise, but she can’t help but wake early, before Robb even.


	2. Chapter 2

Robb is careful with all of the planning, it’s so perfect that it takes her breath away.  The roar of the sea drowns out the sound of her loud heart, the smell of salt calms her mind like a balm on a wound she didn’t know existed. It always feels like that and they’re always like this. They’re in their smallclothes, with their things in the house a stone’s throw away. They’ll return to it when they make the return trip home.

“I’ll jump, then Sansa, Arya, Bran and Rickon will jump. We need to stick together.” Robb reminds them and Sansa feels like every hair on her arms is sticking up in excitement. Robb dives, his arms cutting through the water so beautifully Sansa stares for a moment before doing her best to mimic it.

Arya jumps off the cliff facing land, and does a flip in the air. Robb laughs but Sansa sends her a strong displeased look. Bran and Rickon jump together, and it’s Rickon’s first year to turn with them. Sansa swims to Rickon and Bran while Arya swims to Robb. It’s okay, she tells Rickon. This is what they were born to do. Her hair floats, and she smiles when she sees her tail, her fins emerge from their hiding places and she takes a deep breath. There’s almost nothing better than this.

Robb knows the way, and they swim for a time that always feels too short. Sansa tells him she’ll watch the back of their group, to make sure their siblings stay with them. Robb agrees to that, but when it’s almost light, she’s the first to be hit by the storm that sends them in all directions.

The water’s too strong for her, she moves with it, not against it. She tries to call to Robb but then her world goes black.


	3. Chapter 3

She wakes up to the smell of flowers, and she feels warm sand against her skin. Skin, she thinks as she tries to look at her surroundings. It all comes back, the storm, and seeing shore at some point. She gave up her fins when she realized wherever she wrecked she would end up on land. Someone would see her fins if she didn’t.

“Are you okay?” She hears a soft voice ask. Sansa looks up to see the most beautiful girl she’s ever seen in her life. She has green eyes and long brown hair, and Sansa is suddenly aware that she no longer looks graceful, she realizes that she looks like a drowned rat. She’s not the graceful Tully with hair that looks like fire in the water anymore, she’s Sansa with wet hair and drying salt on her dry skin. She sits up and pushes the hair out of her eyes. She’s taller than the girl staring at her, and Sansa feels herself turn as red as her hair as she realizes she’s in her smallclothes. The girl slowly moves to stand, and Sansa thinks that she has a very large green dress on until part of it moves. She does have a green dress, but she’s holding one similar to it in her arms.

“Here, wear this.” She says kindly and helps Sansa pull it on. She can feel the salt that dried on her skin, and it always takes a few moments for her to adjust to being Sansa again, and not the Tully fish girl she feels like when she has gills

It’s when she tries to breathe that she realizes she made a mistake. She moves away from the pretty girl and coughs the water out of her land lungs. The sand is wet and her hands dig into the warm sand for purchase until her lungs are cleared.

“Thank- thank you.” Sansa says. Her voice is salt rough, like it always is after a swim lasting more than a few minutes. Fresh water is a little more forgiving but salt water has a feeling of adventure to it. She could swim anywhere if she wanted. Arya expressed an interest once to swim to Braavos before, and there was a Tully who swam to Valyria once. One was enough according to her lady mother, as she looked at Arya and Bran. Freshwater is limiting, but salt water tastes like freedom, uncharted territory. It’s exciting and terrifying at the same time. Sansa refocuses on the girl in front of her.

“I’m Margaery of House Tyrell. What’s your name?” The brunette asks and Sansa knows that the Tyrells are friendly to Starks, her decision is made.

“Sansa.” She says as the salt starts to slide down her throat.

“Sansa Stark.” She says and Margaery Tyrell’s eyes widen. She moves Sansa before the taller girl realizes it. Margaery smells like flowers and her touch is gentle as she guides Sansa with a hand on her back.

“Come with me.” Sansa wonders if the odd feeling in her stomach is normal or not.


	4. Chapter 4

She’s introduced and kept a secret with the Tyrells. Margaery drew her a bath and left her alone to her thoughts. She can tell that they want to ask questions but Margaery told them to leave her alone until she was dressed.

The water not only smells like flowers, there are a few floating rose buds on the surface. Sansa plucks one out of the water, and stares at it for a while.

She ducks her head under the water, fully immersed. Her gills shift out and she groans. She wants to be in Riverrun. She can’t leave Highgarden without raising suspicion, leaving in the middle of the night will have people after her.

She wonders what her family is doing in Riverrun as she turns back to just Sansa, and begins to wash her hair.


	5. Chapter 5

The Stark girl is pretty, but she doesn’t allow herself to be distracted by that line of thought for very long. She always needs to focus on her grandmother when she’s near.

“Robb Stark is unmarried.” Olenna reminds her as they see Sansa’s red hair in the distance. She doesn’t tell her grandmother that Robb Stark is not the one she has an eye on for marriage. The Stark girl looks strongly Tully, but she looks like she married one of Margaery’s brothers in that shade of green. She feels a flash of jealousy, Sansa will end up marrying some high lord somewhere and they’ll have children and never think of her ever again. The Reach will just be a dream, and the lovely redhead will never be seen again once this matter gets resolved. Her grandmother already sent someone with a letter to Riverrun regarding Sansa. It’s not that far away, and the redhead will be out of Highgarden within a few days.

She has no right, she has no right to feel this way about Sansa Stark. She knows that liking women is natural, but Sansa is most likely unaware that girls who like girls exist, let alone boys who like boys like her brother.

“Hello.” She says quietly as a greeting and Margaery offers to braid her hair. Sansa agrees and she sits next to Margaery and once she’s done, she moves to the opposite side of the table. Her grandmother has other plans evidently, and Margaery realizes them as Loras walks past their table. Sansa’s eyes follow her brother and she’s comforted by the fact that Loras is the one brother who won’t notice the gorgeous girl’s attention.

“Come sit with us, Loras.” It’s not a request, both of the Tyrell children know that tone. Sansa doesn’t though and she looks thrilled that Loras is there.  
Loras sits by Sansa to her displeasure, and Sansa asks about the food with great curiosity.

“You’ve never had lemon cakes?” Loras asks incredulously. Olenna scolds him and he doesn’t pay her words much attention. Margaery beats him to it, she wants Sansa’s attention.

“Here.” Margaery picks up a piece in her hand and leans over the small table to meet Sansa’s mouth.

“I promise it’s not poisoned or anything vile.” The words are sweet and true, and to her absolute delight, Sansa Stark opens her mouth. She takes a tentative bite from the cake, and the Tyrells watch as she gracefully chews and her eyes widen. She swallows hastily and tells them that lemon cakes are the best thing she’s ever tasted. Margaery’s grin is wide.

“Wait till you’ve had our cook’s apple tarts.” Loras grins.

“They don’t have much fruit in the North, do they?” Olenna inquires and Margaery almost hates that she knows exactly what her grandmother is doing. She wonders if she’s ever been as innocent as Sansa appears to be. The Stark shakes her head and the Tyrells are distracted with the fun of feeding her food she’s never seen before.  
Her grandmother is having them play into her hands, she knows as Loras pours Sansa the best wine of the Reach. The food and the kindness, Olenna wants Sansa Stark to become Sansa Tyrell. Margaery knows, but she can’t help but play into her games.

“How did you end up in the Reach?” Olenna presses and Sansa swallows the bite of apple tart in her mouth before she answers.

“I don’t remember exactly what happened, I just remember there was this terrible storm and I was separated from my siblings.” Sansa answers and her eyes turn sad at the thought. She misses them all terribly, she’s never been apart from them for anything more than a morning.

“Where are you supposed to be?” Olenna asks as she takes a sip of wine.

 _Oh no_ , Margaery thinks. Her grandmother looks like a harmless person, but she’s digging her thorns in.

“I’m supposed to be in the Riverlands with my family.” She says and Olenna appears to be thinking.  
Margaery hasn’t been so thankful to see her father in quite a while, and she shoots a look to Loras and gestures to Sansa and he nods. She’s so thankful her siblings still remember the nonverbal language they created as children, especially Loras.

“Loras and I are going to give her a tour of Highgarden.” Margaery says as her father begins talking. Sansa looks around the garden for a moment before she comprehends Margaery’s words.

Sansa manages to get another lemon cake before she’s led away from the table by the Tyrell siblings. Both Loras and Margaery have their arms on her back as they walk. She has an odd feeling in her stomach, but she can’t tell which Tyrell is causing it.


	6. Chapter 6

Sansa’s pretty sure she’s too full to eat another bite of anything, after trying the different fruits the Reach grows. She had been handed apples, melons, peaches, fireplums, grapes and an odd fruit called a pomegranate. Margaery had shown her how to eat the fruit as Loras plucked it out of the trees.   
Loras grins at her, but she can tell that he’s looking at her like how he looks at Margaery. Margaery has something in her eyes when she looks at Sansa and Sansa realizes something as they walk to introduce her to Willas.  
The feeling in her stomach is because of Margaery, she realizes. She chastises herself as she looks away from Margaery’s smiling face. She is to marry Joffrey someday, she must marry a high lord and have children with him.   
She misses Winterfell, she misses her siblings, but she really misses the time when her life was simple.


	7. Chapter 7

Willas seems interested in her, Olenna tells her son, as they look at them. Willas is leaning into Sansa and teaching her how to do something, they can’t tell by the distance.

They’ll get the Stark home, just not before she falls for a Tyrell rose, Olenna tells her son.

It’s just not the Tyrell they planned on. Olenna knows her granddaughter has her eye on pretty girls just like Loras looks at other men, but she hopes Margaery can stay away from this one.


	8. Chapter 8

She’s just a door away, she assures Sansa. If the Stark needs anything, anything at all, she’s not too far away. Sansa keeps her eyes on Margaery’s face as she speaks and pretends like it’s not scandalous to see her in smallclothes.

Her skin is too dry, she feels antsy. She should be in Riverrun, close to the bottom of her favorite lake, not eating lemon cakes with the Tyrells.

There’s water in the pond in the garden, she remembers walking by it as Margaery and Loras steered her away from their grandmother. She wouldn’t have noticed it if she hadn’t had her head at the right angle, she feels like her skin is even drier as she thinks about it. She weighs the risks. Nothing lives in the pond can hurt her , all of the Tyrells are most likely asleep and she needs it. 

She sneaks out, she moves faster than she should, but there aren’t any guards nearby at the moment, and she knows she can’t stay in the water all night like her siblings will. That’s her favorite part of Riverrun, falling asleep in the water, embracing her Tully nature. 

Sometimes she feels the pull to be Stark, to stay awake while the moon is in the sky and run or howl, but those impulses are not quite as common. Their father knew that it was safer for them to be raised strongly Tully rather than as Stark. Jon feels the pull more strongly than they do, something that had upset her mother once. He and their lord father would disappear on the nights with full moons and come back the next morning. It was something for only them, and while Sansa loves her father, she loves the water more than she loves the moon.

She ignores the scrapes of the rose guards who separate her from the pond, and dives. Once all of her is covered, her hair floats for a moment, and she feels the shift. She relaxes into the water and smiles at her tail, and moves as deep as the pond will go.

It’s deeper than the pond of Winterfell, and she races around, alarming a few fish. The few fish that are in the pond in her home are used to the Stark children and pay them no attention. One of the fish in the pond tries to bite her and she lets out a laugh. She closes her eyes and lets herself float until she feels something disrupt the water. She looks up to see a panicked Margaery swimming to her. 

Margaery doesn’t have as good of vision as she does she realizes. _ Oh no, _ she thinks. They’re too deep for Margaery to return to the surface with ease and she feels selfish for feeling annoyed. She wraps an arm around Margaery and pulls them both to the surface. Margaery lets out a gasp of air and Sansa knows when she notices.

“You have a tail.” She points out. Sansa wants to deny it, but the ground she’s resting her arm on moves and she slips under the water again. Her tail stays and her gills return. Margaery’s eyes widen and Sansa knows she broke the rule, it’s a secret, but she’s the first Tully descendant to mess up this badly. A man once found out about them, but her great grandfather had killed the man to keep the secret. Another had a high lady find out and instead of killing her, they were wed to keep the secret. She can’t do that with Margaery, she cannot have heirs with Margaery who would probably like her older brother Robb anyway.

Sansa waits for a moment, to see what Margaery will do. One day with the Tyrells has taught her that they use whatever they can to their advantage. Margaery just watches her with a fascinated look on her face.

She has to come up eventually, Margaery gestures for her to do so, and she mourns the loss of her beautiful tail for a moment before she pulls herself completely out of the water.

“You weren’t drowning.” Margaery points out in a quiet voice and Sansa nods. She doesn’t know what the Tyrell was expecting, she couldn’t deny it after Margaery watched her in the water.

“No.” She shakes her head. She’s quiet because she doesn’t want to be caught by Tyrell guards with Margaery, soaking wet by the pond.

“Are you the only one you know or-” Margaery trails off.

“No. Will you keep this secret? Even from Loras and Willas?” Sansa asks. It’s ridiculous, she knows she should run and escape to the sea and swim to safety, but Margaery  _ nods.  _

“I’ll trade you a secret for yours. That way we both keep our secrets and trust each other.” Margaery tells her and Sansa looks mystified.

“My secret is that I am not interested in men.” She whispers and Sansa stares at her.

“That’s natural, right?” She asks and Margaery nods.

“Loras likes men. It’s perfectly natural. Do you only like men?” Margaery asks and prays to the gods that they heard her prayer earlier while she left Sansa with Willas. 

“I don’t think so.” Sansa answers hesitantly. Margaery leans in and Sansa holds her breath.

“Interesting. We should return to our rooms. The guards will be checking in our rooms at sunrise.” Margaery tells her and Sansa follows. She almost thought Margaery was going to kiss her. 

She doesn’t understand why she feels so disappointed.


	9. Chapter 9

She’s eating breakfast with the Tyrells when she hears a familiar voice. She can always tell when her siblings are near, just like how she can tell freshwater from saltwater. It’s just innate.

“Excuse me.” Sansa says politely before she hurries, she doesn’t know where she’s going but then she hits someone in her hurry.

_Robb._

She hugs him and he holds her tightly against him for a moment before she informs him of everything, in a whisper. She didn’t mean to, but Margaery saw her.

“I can’t marry her Robb.” She murmurs and he nods. He might have to marry Margaery for Sansa even if she’s not interested in him. There are very few highborn people who are men who marry men and women who marry women, but that’s more of a possibility in the South.

They walk with a plan, and she thanks him for traveling to Highgarden for her. He tells her that this was his fault, he shouldn’t have let the storm take her away, but the conversation gets cut off when they reach the Tyrells.

“This is my brother, Robb.” She says and she sees Loras look at him, but Margaery looks at her.

Olenna insists on at least having them stay for the rest of breakfast, she’s determined to arrange a Stark and Tyrell marriage. Her plans have backfired, she knows as Loras stares interestedly at Robb and Margaery stares at Sansa.

The conversation revolves around the food, Robb doesn’t enjoy lemon cakes as much as she does. He much prefers the apple tarts and Loras grins and tells him that those are his favorite.

Robb tells them that they’ll return to the Reach before they make the trip back to Winterfell to return the dress Sansa’s wearing, and they smile at Robb, and Sansa allows herself to be pulled away by her brother.

“We have to ride to Riverrun.” Robb tells her and Sansa groans at the thought of riding for that long but gets on the horse anyway.

He’ll swim to Winterfell and ask for permission to marry the Tyrell to keep their secret, he decides. It’s only fair, it was his mistake, he needs to pay for it.

He can’t scold Sansa, it wasn’t her fault that she ended up on the coast by Highgarden. They’re damn lucky that she didn’t end up near the Lannisters, the King or the Iron Islands. He could barely keep the rest of his siblings together and they almost ended up in the Vale. Sansa is extremely lucky that only one of the Tyrells  knows what they are. He takes responsibility for this, it was his job to keep them all together.

He glances at Sansa and knows that their minds are in a similar place. She may have enjoyed the Reach and the Tyrells, but she’s starting to remember that their parents will be furious. They’ll be angry with Robb for not keeping her safe and angry at her for revealing her Tully side to a Tyrell. Sansa’s once happy face looks grief-stricken, and she apologizes in a voice he can barely hear over the horses.

She knows that there was a girl who had visited Winterfell few fortnights ago with her father and Robb wanted to ask if he could marry her. Now he’ll have to marry Margaery and she’ll be miserable with the realization that she doesn’t really want to kiss Joffrey or even Loras. She wanted to kiss Margaery. She almost resents Robb, because he’ll get to kiss Margaery and she’ll have to go to the wedding and smile when he does. He doesn’t respond and she realizes that she doesn’t have the energy to cry.

Highgarden had seemed like a dream, a perfect beautiful dream from one of the songs. She feels like it was a bad dream, like the one she had of Jon Arryn dying and her father getting beheaded. The longer she thinks about it, the less sense it makes and she tries to dismiss the bad dream. Her stomach is full of dread.


	10. Chapter 10

They reach Riverrun before the sun sets, and she feels like sinking into her favorite pond and never coming out again as she dismounts. 

Bran is the first to hug her and she holds back the urge to cry. He isn’t quite tall enough to reach her chest yet, and she leans down to hug him back.

“I missed you.” He says and she tells him that she missed him too. Rickon is next, and he says something similar, and she hugs him too. Robin hugs her as well, and Uncle Brynden, Grandfather Hoster, and Uncle Edmure, hug her as well. Robb takes care of the horses and she’s about to walk towards the room she uses when they come when someone hugs her with a force that almost knocks the air out of her lungs. 

She looks down to see that Arya has her arms wrapped around her. She just wraps her arms around her sister too. Arya doesn’t say anything, and sometimes they disagree, but she knows that she would die to protect her sister. Arya loves her and she loves Arya too. Sometimes, they’re just not good at showing it.


	11. Chapter 11

She’s expecting to be scolded and chastised, but everyone seems more relieved than anything. Storms are common, and they’re all just lucky that just one person found out, rather than an entire house.

She eats, and spends time alone in her room watching the sky grow darker. She wants to curl up in her bed and stay in there until it’s all over but Uncle Brynden knocks at the door.

She dutifully gets up and wonders if he can see the tears on her cheeks, it’s the worst kind of salt to have on a face.

“Do you want to talk about your time in Highgarden? I am not here to scold you, Sansa. I am here to listen if you want me to be.” He says and she nods as he closes the door.

“I didn’t tell Robb all of it.” She admits as he sits down.

“Then tell me all of it.” He suggests and Sansa takes a deep breath before she starts at the beginning.


	12. Chapter 12

He’s staring at her with a look she’s never seen in anyone before and she lights a candle and notices that her uncle’s eyes are shiny. It takes her a moment to understand what’s happening.

“Uncle Brynden?” She asks and he bites his lip.

“I am going to tell you something very important, Sansa.” He tells her and she nods and waits.

“What you are feeling is natural. I’m sure you knew my brother Hoster wanted me to marry that Redwyne girl all of those years ago.” He says and she confirms that. She knew that, and he continues.

“There was a man I knew when I was a few name days older than you. I felt the same thing you feel about Margaery. I asked my brother to let me marry him and he told me no. I should have gone with him regardless, I loved him. But I was foolish and he was killed in battle. I couldn’t marry after that. It felt disrespectful. You have a chance to marry Margaery. Take it.” He urges and Sansa’s eyes fill up with tears again.

“I’m here if you need to talk to someone.” He says before he gets up and walks out of her room. She has a lot to think about as he leaves.


	13. Chapter 13

Robb sees her as she’s getting ready to go for a swim. She takes her hair out of the complicated braid Margaery had done that morning. The back of her head had appeared to be a rose made of hair, but she wants her hair down. It’s a complicated process and when she sees him, she takes a deep breath.

“I want to marry Margaery.” The words spill out of her mouth like wine escaping a knocked over cup.

“What?” Her brother asks in disbelief. So she tells him everything, and Uncle Brynden’s support but not about their uncle’s lost love. That’s his story to tell, she thinks. It’s his and she doesn’t want to butcher the story. 

“I’ll ask.” Robb asks after a moment.

“That’s all I want Robb, please just ask them.” Sansa pleads and she remembers that she’s never pleaded or begged for anything from her parents before. She’s never wanted something this badly before. She sees Robb leave, and she tells her favorite uncle what she said before she escapes to her favorite pond. Her siblings prefer the the lake, it’s deeper and warmer, but she likes the small but very deep pond. It’s almost hers, it’s something only she uses in the winter.

Robb won’t be there to bother her, and she just wants to think about water until the morning. Hopefully Robb will be back before then, with good news. He doesn’t ask where she’ll be, she’s been going there since she could swim. The thought of her little hideaway makes her cheer up for a few moments, as she gets ready to go there.

Her mood is worsened when she realizes that Margaery could have just been polite. Margaery might not even like her at all. She could be risking everything over politeness. She prays to the gods to show mercy and for things to be okay. She prays for Robb’s safety and for her family, and an easy winter.


	14. Chapter 14

It feels like ages, she falls asleep before she sees anyone visiting her. She doesn’t see Brynden looking into the pond before walking away, she doesn’t see Robb look at her with concern as the sun rises, both men leave for the house instead of interrupting her. 

It’s not until the water is beginning to be warmed by the sun that she wakes. Arya jumps into the water with her arms wrapped around her legs. The water moves and Sansa opens her eyes. Arya smiles and Sansa gives her what she can for a smile, she doesn’t feel like she can give a true smile. Sansa’s not sure if there’s anything worth smiling about anymore. Arya races her, and Sansa does it because she wants Arya to be happy even if she is not. She is an older sibling, she must to this. 

Arya eventually pulls them to the surface and asks why she hasn’t talked to Robb yet. Sansa shakes her head.

“I don’t want to know the answer because it’s going to be no. Even if mother and father say yes, the Tyrells will say no.” 

“You might be surprised.” Arya says and the smile betrays her. Arya might tease her and argue with her but she’s never been needlessly cruel. Arya is many things, reckless, smart, but she’s never been one for giving false hope or intentionally hurting others.

“They said yes.” Sansa realizes aloud and Arya smiles wider. Sansa’s smile is momentary, and it disappears.

“How much do you know? How much did Robb tell you?” Sansa presses and Arya frowns. 

“He said you were in love with a Tyrell and that I should be happy for you.” Arya says hesitantly.

“Arya, I’m in love with Margaery Tyrell.” Sansa says and her sister’s eyes widen. She steels herself and waits.

“Okay.” She shrugs and Sansa stares at her.

“Are you going to say anything else? Margaery Tyrell is a girl. I am a girl.” Sansa adds and Arya shakes her head.

“You should get happiness where you can get it.” Her sister says sagely and Sansa tells her that she’s going to go talk to Robb.

“Good luck.” Arya says and Sansa feels fragile as she walks to her older brother.

Uncle Brynden smiles at her and she wonders if she’s part Arryn, she feels like she’s floating away. There’s a part of her that wonders if the Tyrells will say yes, she worries. Her parents and grandmother might not know that Margaery isn’t interested in men. If she shows interest and they don’t approve, Sansa shudders at the thought. 

“They’re okay with it?” Sansa asks.

“Mother and father think I should marry her, but if Margaery Tyrell agrees to marry you, you will be wed.” Robb admits.

“If she says no, I am to offer myself. This is my responsibility and mother and father think you are taking my punishment. If you are doing that, you need to tell me now, Sansa.”

“That’s not what I was doing. Did you tell them of my feelings for Margaery?” Sansa asks.

“I did.” Robb confirms.

“They were accepting of my feelings? Will father tell Joffrey and the King?” Sansa asks and Robb nods. 

“There is one thing that they told me to tell you. We are not going to ask the Tyrells until we have left Riverrun.” Robb says and Sansa lets out a happy noise. She jumps to hug Robb and he catches her. She’s tall, taller than Margaery, but Robb is taller than she is. There are so few people who are taller than her anymore, and she closes her eyes. 

“I might get married before you.” She says when they pull apart and Robb grins.

“Very funny.” He says and Sansa nods.

“I am very funny, thank you for noticing.” Sansa’s in a very good mood, Robb notices. 

“I bet I can race you to the lake.” Sansa challenges, her hair is still wet after all, and Robb grins.

“You’re on.” He declares.

Sansa runs as quickly as she can, but Robb catches up with her halfway there. It’s all for naught, they see the silver flash of Arya’s tail as she moves out of Sansa’s pond and past them into the lake. 

“I win!” Arya declares her victory and Sansa laughs in the water. Things are looking up. Arya’s silver tail seems to glitter with her victory, but that could just be the sun, Sansa thinks **_._ **

Robb races them in the water, his tail is beautiful, but he says it matches his hair and the mud at the bottom of an old pond. Arya had shrugged and agreed and Sansa took three days to explain why his tail was beautiful, to their mother’s amusement. Robb had retorted that hers was a very pale purple that suited her, and he would have much rather have a different color of tail. Sansa thinks of times like this, and then she stops thinking at all as she closes her eyes and rests her back against a rock at the bottom of the lake. 


	15. Chapter 15

The next few days pass with ease, Sansa has a very full schedule of studying and then swimming and then sewing next to Uncle Brynden as they talk. Some days they don’t talk, just sit together. Arya and the others monopolize Uncle Edmure and Grandfather Hoster’s time. She doesn’t mind it, she still sees them all at meals. Sometimes she joins them and watches the boys and Arya shoot and run about. Arya tries to convince her to join them, but Sansa just shakes her head each time. It’s not ladylike and she doesn’t want to make a fool of herself in front of everyone. It’s best for everyone, she tells her persistent sister. She’d rather watch anyway.


	16. Chapter 16

“Did he know your secret?” Sansa asks on the fifth day of sitting next to her uncle.

He looks at her with those startlingly Tully blue eyes of his before he answers his favorite niece.

“I was going to tell him. I never got the chance to.” Sansa’s heart breaks a little.

“I’m sorry.” Sansa says sincerely. He looks far away when he tells her that it is in the past, and there’s nothing to do about it. She has the possibility of a future that he never could have attained.

“I’m glad people are more accepting now, in your time.” Her uncle says and she offers him a sad smile.

“I am happy too.” Sansa says.

“Maybe I’ll see him again someday, when my life is over.” Her uncle says and she is sad at the thought, she does not want her Uncle Brynden to die. He’s old though, and he’s lived a long life. He deserves happiness wherever he can get it.

“I hope it’s a happy place, wherever we go after his life ends.” Sansa confesses.

“Me too.” Her uncle says simply and she continues working on her stitching. It’s barely started, so it’s safe to work on around others. Once she makes more progress on it, it will be obvious to everyone what her design is.


	17. Chapter 17

 

Another week passes and Brynden and Edmure switch responsibilities. Edmure wants to talk to his quiet niece who managed to fall for a Tyrell. They’ve never been close, they love each other, but he always has to entertain the boys who chased each other around. He’s always there for all of the children. Sansa’s always been elusive and his uncle has always spent more time with her than the boys. Sansa’s quiet and she isn’t so taxing on Brynden like her brothers might be.

“How are you?” He asks and Sansa looks at him while she continues her latest stitch.

“I’m doing well.” Sansa says and the conversation continues with ease. Uncle Edmure is nice, but she feels like Uncle Brynden understands her more, somehow.

Rickon asks her to tell them a story before he and Bran go to bed. They share a room, it’d be easy. Bran protests that he’s old enough and Rickon’s the one that wants the story. Sansa smiles and settles in to tell a story anyway. Despite Bran’s claims, she knows he’s paying attention.

Life at Riverrun is good, and it’s an easy rhythm to settle into, but she can’t stop stitching roses on blank fabric. She presents her uncles and grandfather with stitched fish shirts, and Brynden grins when he sees that his fish is black. She sews Arya a sword in the pockets of trousers she fixes for her. 

She sews and swims to keep her busy, but she can’t help but embroider a handkerchief with roses when she ends up thinking about Margaery. No one points it out, but as time goes on, the more anxious Sansa becomes. Robb just hopes the Tyrells are accepting of the idea of Sansa liking Margaery. Sansa spends her nights in her favorite pond and wakes up each morning with plants in her hair.


	18. Chapter 18

Riverrun is always the best part of the year, but Sansa’s hopeful that Margaery will make it even better. All of the Starks have to make the trip to Highgarden, it will look suspicious otherwise. Robb wonders if Sansa is capable of staying still as they get closer. He opens his mouth and closes it, there’s no point in making her excited smile dim.  
Sansa holds the green dress like it’s made of the most valuable gems she’s ever seen, and Robb speaks to the guards as they wait for a Tyrell.

“Robb!” Loras grins and Sansa catches her brother smiling politely. She wonders if perhaps, Loras likes boys like Margaery likes women.  
Robb seems completely oblivious as Loras promises to find his grandmother and father for them.

“Margaery! Sansa Stark and Robb Stark are here!” Loras says and Margaery appears in their line of sight.

“Sansa!” Margaery says warmly, and pulls her close for a hug.

“I will be back as soon as I find them.” Loras promises Robb.

“Can I talk to you about something?” Sansa asks quietly as Margaery breaks away from the hug. Robb can’t hear them from a few feet away.

“Of course.” The Tyrell says and Sansa hands her the dress.

“If I were to ask to marry you, would your family be accepting of that? Would they say yes?” Sansa asks the questions that have plagued her for weeks.

“They will. They just thought they’d have to marry me to a man because that doesn’t happen very often. Loras will have to marry a woman unless he finds another highborn man who likes men.” Margaery informs her and Sansa smiles so widely it hurts her face.

“Robb is going to ask if I can marry you.” Sansa murmurs and Margaery laughs.

“We barely know each other.” Margaery begins and Sansa’s heart feels like it’s breaking.

“Many a marriage has been built on much less. My parents didn’t meet until the day they were to be wed.” Sansa informs the Tyrell and Margaery gives her a gentle smile.  
“I feel the same way you do. I would very much like to make you happy, Sansa. I want you to be my wife.” Margaery finishes and Sansa hugs her tightly.


	19. Chapter 19

Mace and Olenna Tyrell agree to the marriage, but they don’t want to drag Margaery into the cold North. The one condition of the marriage that they will not budge on, is that Sansa has to live in the Reach. If the Starks don’t agree to that, there will not be a marriage at all. Robb looks at Sansa for a moment and he freezes for a moment. There’s no expectation or pressure in those familiar eyes, she looks at him how she always does.

“We agree to that.” Robb says and Sansa knows she’s not the only one who let out a sigh of relief.

“Robb, come with Mace and I. We have much to discuss. Sansa and Margaery will be fine with Loras.” Olenna says, and it sounds like a polite request but feels like a demand. Robb looks a slightly alarmed as Olenna hooks her arm in his and leads him away. Loras looks at the trio walking away before anyone speaks.

“Would you two like to meet my siblings?” Sansa asks, breaking the silence.

“We would be delighted to.” Margaery says and takes Sansa’s hand.


	20. Chapter 20

Arya asks Loras several questions about swords and violence and Rickon asks if Margaery’s the person Sansa kept stitching roses for. Margaery’s eyebrows raise and Sansa can feel herself turning as red as her hair. Distantly, she can hear Arya asking Loras more questions and then hears Margaery speak.

“You sewed roses for me?” Her betrothed asks and Bran and Rickon, the traitors, search through Sansa’s things until they find what they’re looking for. A stitched handkerchief gets handed to Margaery, and Sansa cringes.

“This is beautiful.” Margaery breathes as she looks at the stitches.

“You must teach me how you do this so neatly. I’m afraid I’m better with roses than with thread.” The brunette says and Sansa’s nervous heart slows to a steady beat.


	21. Chapter 21

“We’ll see you in two fortnights,” Olenna declares and Robb smiles at her. Margaery tries to hand Sansa the handkerchief back.

“Keep it.” Sansa says, and tells her to look at the other side. There’s a stitch of her, red hair and purple tail almost exactly how she looks in the water. Margaery grins at her and Sansa’s heart skips a few beats.

* * *

finis

 


End file.
